1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to ammunition magazines and more particularly to suspended stowage magazines for belts of interconnected rounds that feed rapid fire guns.
Suspended loop stowage magazines which stow gravity suspended loops of rounds interconnected by belts or articulated clips are known. The magazine of the present invention is of the type wherein the upper rounds of each suspended loop are slidably supported on laterally spaced, generally horizontal side rails, with the belts disposed between the rails. This sliding suspension presents entanglement or jamming problems when the guns are fitted to the vehicles which must traverse hilly country or rough terrain that jostles the rounds of the magazine and urges the loops to slide along their rails. This action can be aggravated by gun recoil.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Dabrasky U.S. Pat. No. 1,901,868, Mar. 21, 1933 discloses a storage box for horizontal folds or loops of ammunition wherein the loops rest upon one another along their lengths. The storage box is inverted to deposit the loops horizontally in a magazine chamber at the gun.
Dowd U.S. Pat. No. 2,710,561, June 15, 1955 discloses an aircraft ammunition box having partitions with upper pivoted extensions which suspend loops of a cartridge belt. Each extension carries a spring mounted retractable pawl which releasably supports a depending loop of cartridges.
Cook et al U.S. Pat. No. 2,811,084, Oct. 29, 1957 discloses a suspended stowage ammunition magazine wherein the rounds are connected by articulated spring metal clips which form a belt. The magazine sidewalls mount opposed, vertical loop separator ribs. The upper ends of all ribs (except those nearest the gun) mount sickle shaped arm guides that have an extent along the feed path of the belt and temporarily suspend a preceding loop until the feed tension on the belt has taken the weight of the succeeding loop. This avoids creation of a slack bight at the crest of rounds between successive loops.
Birkigt U.S. Pat. No. 2,360,035, Oct. 10, 1944 discloses a firearm magazine wherein the cartridges are urged down in outlet passage by a magazine spring. A spring loaded rocking member has a retractable nose portion and projects through an aperture formed on one wall of the passage for maintaining the axial orientation of cartridges.
Bilek U.S. Pat. No. 2,889,751, June 9, 1959 discloses an ammunition magazine having angled partition members that separate loops of belted ammunition. The ammunition is drawn from the magazine discharge port between a lower, fixed pivot roller and fixed upper guide plates.